Parachute pack



June 25, 1935. E, L, HOFFMAN 2,005,743

PARACHUTE PACK Filed April 13, 1933 Patented June 25, 1935 g .f i;

;A UNITED ISTAT-E Sw OFFICE; f

amended'AprilSU, 1928;v 370 O. G. 757) The invention described hereinfmay be manufactured and used by or for the Government forgovernmental purposes, without the payment to me of `any royalty thereon. l Theppresent invention relates generallyV to improvements in parachute packs and more particularly to packs of the type adapted to beI -worn on ythe `back of an aviator and the pri- ;maryobject of the present invention is to provideanon-rigid or ysoft pack which will readilyconform to thebody or seat of the wearer `vand yet,A retain its comparatively hat shape, even though worn upon the wearers vback in an up- ;right position without the tendency to approach va spherical or cylindrical w form when in apacked Condit-OIL y .V

A further object of the present invention is to provide in a pack of this character` a stiffening frame so shaped and so positionedin the pack thatit is possibletov maintain theA folds of the ,parachute canopy in their normally folded position and the pack*` substantially flat even when worn inv an upright vposition on `the back,v or chest Vof the wearer and yet maintain the same Voflsuch avfiexible characterthat it is capable of ,readily conforming'to the wearerswback or chest.

Furtherv objects and advantages of my invention 4vwill be more fullyv set forth, reference be-v i. ing made to the following detailed description of .a preferred form of .my invention and to, the

accompanying drawing in which;y Y

Fig. 1 is aplan view of the pack as it is opened, @illustrating the manner in whichthestiffening frame is positioned'therein;

j, Fig., 2 is a rear view. Vof the container with a rip cord attached thereto; I y

Fig. 3 is an end View with avportion broken away illustrating the position ofthe stiifeningr` vcanopyof the pack generally indicated by" nuvmeral A22 isfolded back and forthon the body :40 portion of thepack and thatthe stiffenng frame frame when theparachute isfpacked within the container; i y

Fig. 4 is a perspective viewA of the stiffening frame;

. Fig. 5 is a view similarlto showing the 'stiifening frame covered with' flexible material; 4and l 6 is a part sectional view taken on the'line El-6 ofFig. 5. 5 l j ReferringV more 'particularly' r to the drawing iwherein vcorresponding parts are designated by vlikefnumerals lthroughout the several views, the

` "parachute pack in one embodiment 'of-lmy inventionV herein ,illustrated comprises generally a container,-includingabody portion I0, and a plurality of side portions II and I2, and `an end flap I3, which is adapted to fold over the side flaps and the body portion to retainafolded parachute therein. This container isof a type set forth in my invention No.` A1,774,513 issued Sep` tember 2, 1930, wherein the end flap I3. is provided with an auxiliary flap "I4, within which a 5 i pilot parachute is adapted to beifolded, so that when the pack. isreleased the `pilot parachute will be forcibly thrown from the container into the air and readily withdrawvthexmain chute fromthe container.

'y In the above-referred-to patent, lI make ref,- erence to the use of pockets .herein designated by numerals I5 "and: I6, consistingfof twopieces `of webbing sewed at `intervals onto.y the pack portion vof the container atfopposite sides there'- of, leaving slack looped portions withinwhich 'the suspension lines lI1 of 'the main parachute areadapted to be tucked inv the manner illus'- trated in'lFig. 1.

The numeral I 8 lindicates a stiiening frame, 20-

'the outer dimensionsof which' are substantially c equal to thedimensions ofthe body portion of the' pack. As will heno-ted by referring to'Fig.

ofthe glove buttonl type and as `shown in'Figs.

5 and'f the female portion ofthe fasteners are v securedv on' *the` flap I9 heretofore mentioned. `3.0 The vnale lportion of the fasteners indicated by *numeral 2| are carried on' the body portion I0 on'the pack adjacent thei'lap I3, as shown in Fig. 1. By providing releasable fasteners on the stiffening frame in the manner described, it will be readily apparent that in emergencies the stiffening frame is readilynremovable from the pack. Referring 'to Fig. 3, it will be noted that the is inserted between the foldsrr ofthe canopy and -so positioned as to. lie substantially centrallyy of the pack when in aA folded condition. By observ- -ing Figs.4 and 5, it will be noted that the stify45 ening frame is substantiallyfD-shaped, the cen '.tral portion jof which is cut-away Vso that when folded' the material of the canopy willk tightly pack within this hollow central portion. It will ,beffurther noted that theend opposite from the flap :I9 'is cut-away, asindicated by the numeral -23,'within which the folds of the parachute are .disposed. Consequentlmwhen thepack isv worn upon the back of a wearer, the folds of the parachute will be suspended over the end portion of y 

